


i will carry you inside of what i am (of what remains)

by thefangirlofhp



Series: the ash in our clothes [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Compliant, Commander Erwin Smith, Gen, Short One Shot, moments engraved in stone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24074587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefangirlofhp/pseuds/thefangirlofhp
Summary: Nanaba began laughing her cheerful tinkering special laugh, Levi was smiling, Mike was impressed and grinning, Hanji wasn't late twenty minutes and Erwin had a peaceful extra five minutes before their meeting- the sun shined sharply through the windows behind his back on them, casting them in the warm spring's promising embrace and as Erwin regarded his subordinates -no, no, his friends. His comrades- he had the assuring cementing thought that with them by his side, Humanity was going to survive.
Series: the ash in our clothes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707631
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	i will carry you inside of what i am (of what remains)

Erwin had his section commanders and squad leaders gathered for their weekly meeting. His special officer was uncharacteristically late and his other special Section Commander was characteristically late. He didn't give it much thought because while Levi was late to his own standards, Hanji was following her own usual protocol- so there was no need for any raised eyebrows and Erwin had five minutes of extra personal silence to feed his thoughts. Levi usually was a quiet person, but his presence was loud in Erwin's mind and he robbed Erwin of any thoughts for himself and on the off chance he spoke to Erwin, the Commander had to carve a bit of his attention to his captain while he worked. And Levi liked to arrive at a meeting fifteen minutes earlier and was in the habit to come hours before (all the free time on his hands were thanks to a lack of paperwork and an abundant amount of boredom, in Erwin's opinion) unless Erwin specifically had to order him to come on time, and even then he showed up five minutes early.

It was nice- the relaxed silence. 

Mike and Nanaba were playing a quick game of cards on the table before his desk that he then decided to join while the rest arrived. Their budget had just received a generous donation, their planned expedition for the upcoming month was met with no objections from the higher-ups, Levi was not early and Erwin was in a good mood. So he joined them in a quick round of cards. Mike was broadly grinning. 

Two minutes after 10:00 am came, the door opened and in stepped their most renown soldier. Levi always maintained a clean and neat appearance, and there wasn't anything to criticize about his presentation- however when he walked in, the first thing Erwin noticed was how fresh he appeared. 

Mike, Nanaba and Erwin stared as Levi nodded at them and took his usual seat at a comfortable cushioned chair, settling in with an exhaled sigh and crossing one leg over the other. When he noticed their collective stares, a slight furrow made its home between his eyebrows. 

"You're all staring like retarded dogs."

Nanaba chuckled, a grin stretching her lips. "You seem in a good mood. Want to join?" 

Levi glanced at the deck of cards and the ones in their hands briefly -he was going to refuse. Erwin was sure- and nodded. "Sure." 

They all stared again and Levi regarded them with the feeling that might accompany a person staring at an alien. Erwin studied his face, hunted his expression for what was nagging Erwin's thoughts about the changed demeanour and mood of Levi whose interactions with anything that breathed this early were limited to grunts and scowls and several cups of tea. 

"Have you invested in a new brand of tea?" Erwin inquired. Levi raised an eyebrow. 

"I would," replied the tea-fan blandly. "But the budget is tighter than your asshole." 

Nanaba chuckled once again as Mike sorted out Levi's cards. "We've received a generous donation. Erwin's in a good mood and brought us to discuss how we are going to spend it."

"Excellent," an unfamiliar light gleamed in Levi's eyes as he accepted his cards from Mike. "Black tea and bleach."

"We are _not_ ," coughed Erwin. "I already have it planned out." 

"I'm putting new gloves and Snickers on the list," Nanaba continued, ignoring Erwin. "Black tea and bleach can stay."

"ACs in the rooms," Mike grunted. "This summer's going to be the worst."

Amusement was clear on Levi's face. "We can invest in a freezer your size for the summer, Mike. Bring you out for expeditions and fundraisers- that's a solid deal." 

Mike smirked faintly. "That's a solid idea. I'm down." 

"But seriously, what's new with you?" asked Nanaba. "Did you shower just now?" 

Levi shook his head and shrugged. "No, I didn't have time today."

Levi had not showered that morning. Odd- Erwin knew his daily schedule consisted of him being up before the crack of dawn to go through his training, which he preferred doing alone, and he always showered afterwards. Mike sniffed deeply and frowned at Levi. 

"Did you only just wake up?" 

Erwin definitely raised an Eyebrow of Scepticism at that and considered it; Levi's face had abandoned supporting the tired look in his eyes and the murderous expression it usually portrayed, and the darkened circles under his eyes were gone. Nanaba perked up as Mike played his cards. 

"Did you use the facemask I gave you?" 

"Yeah," nodded Levi, glancing at his cards. "Washed it off when I woke up." 

Nanaba smugly smiled and sent a "See? My concoctions aren't wasting away the regiment's supplies, Erwin" towards her Commander. "Look at him, he looks _friendly_."

Even Erwin had to smile at that statement. Levi usually seemed about as friendly as a mountain goat, but after meticulously regarding his demeanour, they had to agree that he did look a tad bit indifferent rather than his frequent daily villainous behaviour. 

"Did you sleep well?" asked Erwin. 

"I just woke up," answered Levi, ensuring a stunned silence descending on them with that throwaway sentence. 

"It's 10 am," said Nanaba after gaping. 

"I know," Levi looked pleased. 

"Did you go to bed at nine?" 

Levi's eyes gleamed and he nodded. He glanced at the cards on the table and his own and with a smug air to his actions, he reached forward and put down all his cards in one go. _What luck_. 

"I feel the need to ask in order to make sure," Erwin frowned. "An hour ago or _eleven_ hours ago?" 

The door swung open suddenly and in stepped a broadly grinning Hanji whose gaze fell on Levi and her grin turned into a bright beam. "Hey, Shortie! Did it work?" 

It was then that Levi smiled warmly -Wall fucking Sina, it was wrong to think that sentence- and nodded. The other three veterans gaped as Hanji plopped down in the seat next to Levi's, an accomplished 'Yes!' escaping her with a punched fist. "Tell me everything."

"Tell _us_ everything!" cried Nanaba. "What's going on?!"

"I gave him something we use on titans to knock them out of consciousness for two days," enclosed Hanji. "I figured since everything else known to mankind and usable by humans merely made him cranky and drowsy but not enough to overcome his own insomnia, we'd need something more strong." 

"Talk about handling your liquor," whistled Mike. 

"I'm working on that front too," nodded Hanji as the smile refused to abandon Levi's face- it was beginning to become unnerving.

Nanaba began laughing her cheerful tinkering special laugh, Levi was smiling, Mike was impressed and grinning, Hanji wasn't late twenty minutes and Erwin had a peaceful extra five minutes before their meeting- the sun shined sharply through the windows behind his back on them, casting them in the warm spring's promising embrace and as Erwin regarded his subordinates -no, no, his friends. His comrades- he had the assuring cementing thought that with them by his side, Humanity was going to survive. 

It was a good day.

Five months later the sun would no longer shine so brightly in that office, and the big chair of the Commander would be an empty space too big to occupy, and the six seats for the officers would no longer support the usual inhabitants but be taken by children fresh from the nest, and the world would be much larger and emptier, and the military won't feel like home to anyone, and life would come to become a hopeless suffocating chore-

But today was a good day. 


End file.
